Home > Contents > Chapter 3 - Outcome 1: School Education

Chapter 3 - Outcome 1: School Education

Individuals achieve high quality foundation skills and learning outcomes from schools and other providers.

• Planning and Resources

• An Introduction to the School Education Sector

• The Australian Government’s Role in School Education

• Overall Effectiveness of the School Education Sector

• Achievements Against Strategic Priorities (1-4)

  • Strategic priorities (1-4) for Outcome 1:

  • New directions affecting the strategic priorities

  • Strategic Priority 1: Nationally comparable standards and reporting to drive improved learning outcomes for all students

  • Strategic Priority 2: Improved learning outcomes for Indigenous students

  • CASE STUDY: Dare to Lead: Taking it on

  • Strategic Priority 3: Enhance the quality of teaching and learning in a safe and supportive environment

  • Strategic Priority 4: Improved transitions of young people through school to further education and training or work

  • CASE STUDY: myfuture-Real People, Real Careers

• Departmental Outputs

  • Administration

  • Policy advising

  • Ministerial and parliamentary services

  • Research, analysis and evaluation

 

Planning and Resources

To provide a business planning framework and operational focus within the department to support the Australian Government’s long-term outcomes for school education, four strategic priorities, or medium term outcomes, were identified for 2003-04 (see Figure 3.1).

In 2003-04, total resources allocated to Outcome 1 were $7 113 million. Table 3.1 sets out the resources invested in Outcome 1 for 2003-04.

The department administered $7 024 million (Administered Appropriations) on behalf of the Australian Government, through four administered output groups:

• Output Group 1.1—funding for schools;

• Output Group 1.2—assistance for individuals including those with special needs;

• Output Group 1.3—assistance for quality teaching and learning; and

• Output Group 1.4—assistance for transition through and from school.

The department used Departmental Appropriations of $93.6 million and raised over $1.5 million in revenue to total $95.1 million.

Figure 3.1: Alignment of strategic priorities and administered output groups for Outcome 1

(please click image)

Table 3.1: Resources invested in Outcome 1

a AEs—Additional Estimates
b Revenue from other sources does not include resources provided free of charge
Notes:
Administered: Variations between the budget estimate and actual expenditure occurred due to variations between estimated and actual student enrolments, and the payment of commitments from previous financial years being processed during 2003-04.
Departmental: The total price of outputs exceeded by $5.8 million. Variance at the outcome and output group level reflect the process of attributing costs to outputs on an actual basis.
Source: Department of Education, Science and Training.

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An Introduction to the School Education Sector

Australia’s future depends on a high quality and dynamic school education system to provide students with foundation skills, values, knowledge and understanding necessary for lifelong learning, employment and full participation in society.

States and territories have the primary responsibility for funding state government schools. They also provide supplementary assistance to non-government schools. The Australian Government is the primary source of public funding for non-government schools while also providing supplementary assistance to government schools. Most non-government schools have some religious affiliation, with approximately two-thirds of non-government school students enrolled in Catholic schools. Overall, state government schools enrol 68 per cent of students, while non-government schools enrol 32 per cent of students.

To improve the quality of schooling nationally, the Australian Government works with state and territory governments, non-government school authorities, parents, educators and other organisations to seek the best possible outcomes for young Australians. Strategic policy development and delivery of programmes and services at the national level are coordinated through the Ministerial Council on Education, Employment, Training and Youth Affairs (MCEETYA).

The Australian Government works cooperatively with state and territory governments and non-government school authorities towards achieving the National Goals for Schooling in the 21st Century for all students⁽¹⁾ . These goals, which were agreed by MCEETYA in 1999, focus on the learning outcomes of students and provide a framework for national reporting on student achievement and for public accountability by school education authorities.

The National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Education Policy was endorsed by all Australian governments and is reflected in the Indigenous Education (Targeted Assistance) Act 2000. The policy guides programme initiatives across Australia in a continuing effort to achieve equity between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians.

The Australian Government provides Indigenous-specific funding as a supplement to other mainstream funds. This funding is intended for strategic interventions which aim to accelerate Indigenous students’ learning outcomes. The Australian Government also provides assistance directly to students.

The Australian Government works collaboratively with education providers, Indigenous communities and other state and territory and Australian Government agencies to ensure that policies and strategies are mutually supportive, culturally appropriate and acknowledge the disparate needs of Indigenous communities.

Governments recognise that traditional pathways to education outcomes must be developed and maintained. However, governments are increasingly focusing on ways to provide a range of educational pathways for all young people and, especially, alternatives for those who are classified as ‘at risk’. Some of these pathways will be offered through the traditional school system, others will be offered by schools acting in partnership with vocational education and training providers, community groups, parents, and non-government organisations.

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The Australian Government’s Role in School Education

The Australian Government is committed to raising national standards in education to ensure that schooling in Australia continues to be world class.

The Australian Schools Agenda ⁽²⁾, announced by the Prime Minister and the Minister for Education, Science and Training on 22 June 2004, provides a vision for the next four years. The Agenda focuses on:

• greater national consistency in schooling;

• better reporting to parents;

• greater autonomy for school principals;

• transparency of school performance;

• creating safer schools;

• common commitment to physical activity;

• better approaches to boys’ education;

• developing the teaching workforce;

• accelerating Indigenous outcomes; and

• helping families with post-school choice.

These directions resonate with stakeholders, particularly with parents who play a key role in their child’s education. The government recognises that the best schools in Australia are those where there are effective partnerships between the students, teachers and parents together with business and community organisations. Sound performance information and meaningful reporting underpin successful relationships. These policy directions will also help ensure that we have a professional, forward looking education sector.

The Australian Government has a leadership role in:

• identifying and promoting national standards and priorities for students;

• reporting nationally comparable data on student achievements and other outcomes of schooling; and

• improving the accountability of education providers, on the schooling outcomes for which they are responsible, to parents and the wider Australian community.

The Australian Government provides significant funding to enhance the learning outcomes of all school students. Support is provided through general recurrent, capital and targeted programmes, and policy development, research and analysis of nationally significant education issues.

Priority areas for support are:

• improving the quality of teaching;

• improving the learning outcomes for all students;

• redressing the significant gaps between the educational outcomes of Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians;

• improving the educational outcomes for students with special needs;

• providing choice in education for all families; and

• encouraging and supporting effective partnerships between school and industry to enable young Australians to acquire vocational, enterprise and career education, knowledge and experience before they leave school.

The department helps the Australian Government achieve its overall objective of quality educational outcomes for all students through three distinct but interrelated areas:

• high quality policy advice and other support to the Minister, underpinned by capabilities in research, analysis and evaluation, which also informs the policy debate on school education and outcomes for Indigenous Australians;

• efficient national programme management; and

• effective working relationships with state and territory governments, education departments, non-government education authorities, schools, Indigenous education service providers, industry, community groups and other stakeholders.

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Overall Effectiveness of the School Education Sector

Strong foundation skills, gained during the formative years of schooling, provide a sound basis for further participation in education, training and employment.

Staying on to undertake and complete Year 12 at school is an objective for many young Australians. The education and training system offers young people an increasing range of vocational, education and training options, including New Apprenticeships, that are now offered by schools, Institutes of Technical and Further Education (TAFE) and private providers.

The overall proportion of 19 year olds with Year 12 or a vocational or educational qualification rose between 2001 and 2002. In 2003, this figure remained relatively stable, with the proportion of females with these qualifications falling slightly (Figure 3.2).

Figure 3.2: Effectiveness Indicator—19 year olds with Year 12 or a vocational or higher education qualification, 2001–2003

There was a modest rise in the proportion of 24 year olds with a vocational or higher education qualification between 2001 and 2003, with the proportions of males and females being almost identical at around 50 per cent in 2003 (Figure 3.3).

Figure 3.3: Effectiveness Indicator—24 year olds with Certificate III or IV vocational qualification or a higher education qualification, 2001–2003

Note: There was a change in this measure from 2002. Up to 2001, the data collected was 24 vocational qualifications or higher.
Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics data, Survey of Education and Work, 1997–2003.

Research undertaken by bodies such as the Australian Council for Educational Research indicates that young people who are not participating in full-time education, training, work or some combination of these activities, are more likely to have difficulty making a transition to full-time employment by their mid-twenties.

Figure 3.4 shows that young Australians have high levels of participation in education, training and employment beyond the compulsory years of schooling. Participation in post-compulsory schooling helps young people acquire knowledge and skills that can lead to higher levels of lifetime income and improved employment prospects. Australia benefits from an increased supply of skilled people with competencies and attitudes which support lifelong learning, a more competitive and innovative economy and a better informed society.

Figure 3.4: Effectiveness Indicator—Full-time participation in education, training or employment, by age, 1999-2002

Source: Schools Australia 2002.

Figure 3.5 shows that the proportion of students gaining Year 12 certificates rose from 67 per cent in 2000 to 69 per cent in 2002. This rate of increase applied equally to students of both low and high socioeconomic status backgrounds, so that the gap between the two remained at 17 percentage points. The proportion of urban and rural students gaining a Year 12 certificate rose by 1-2 percentage points while that of remote students fell by about the same amount. Figure 3.5 shows that education outcomes for these groups are still below that of the general population.

Figure 3.5: Effectiveness Indicator—Students receiving Year 12 certificates, as a proportion of potential Year 12 population, 2000-2002

Source: Final Year 12 completion rates, 1997-2001 and 2002 Year 12 completion rates, by 2001 Census geographic classifications and SEIFA. A consultancy report by Dr Roger Jones, Quantitative Evaluation and Design Pty Ltd for Schools Outcomes and National Reporting Unit, DEST, February 2004. (Unpublished).

Other Effectiveness Indicators are reported under the strategic priorities.

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Achievements Against Strategic Priorities (1-4)

The department’s medium-term strategic priorities reflect the Australian Government’s agenda for school and Indigenous education. These priorities, listed below, direct the department’s efforts towards achievement of the Outcome.

Strategic Priorities 5-9 are reported under Outcome 2; Strategic Priorities 10-15 are reported under Outcome 3. The key deliverables for each of these strategic priorities were outlined in the 2003-04 Portfolio Budget Statements along with performance measures and planned performance targets for the year.

Strategic priorities (1-4) for Outcome 1:

1. Nationally comparable standards and reporting to drive improved learning outcomes for all students.

2. Improved learning outcomes for Indigenous students.

3. Enhance the quality of teaching and learning in a safe and supportive environment.

4. Improved transitions of young people through school to further education and training or work.

New directions affecting the strategic priorities

The strategic priorities for Outcome 1 are reflected in the Australian Schools Agenda. The Agenda outlines the Australian Government’s vision for all schools, government and non-government, for the next four years. States, territories and non-government education authorities will be required to implement the main elements of the Australian Schools Agenda in order to receive funding.

Key conditions of funding in schools legislation for 2005-2008 include:

• greater national consistency in schooling, including starting ages, and curriculum and testing standards;

• better reporting to parents, including plain language reports and meaningful information on school quality;

• transparency of school performance;

• greater autonomy for school principals;

• creating safer school environments;

• a common commitment to physical activity;

• timely transmission of information about students moving interstate; and

• making values a core part of schooling.

The Agenda also includes significant commitments to developing the teaching workforce, improving Indigenous education outcomes, better approaches to boys’ education and helping students and families with post-school choices.

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Strategic Priority 1: Nationally comparable standards and reporting to drive improved learning outcomes for all students

It is essential for schools to report nationally comparable student outcomes to parents and the broader community. This aims to ensure that schools’ priorities focus on students’ outcomes and their continuous improvement.

During 2003-04, the department continued to administer funding for the 2001-2004 funding quadrennium, through the States Grants (Primary and Secondary Education Assistance) Act 2000. Grants for schools are conditional upon authorities’ commitment to achieving performance targets for Year 3 literacy and numeracy and to reporting against specified performance measures for Years 3, 5 and 7 literacy and numeracy. Reporting is done through the Annual National Report on Schooling in Australia (ANR), published by MCEETYA. The targets and measures are contained in regulations to the legislation.

2005-2008 schools funding package and legislation

Major work during 2003-04 has focused on developing the schools Specific Purpose Payments funding package and enacting legislation for the 2005-2008 quadrennium. The current legislation, the States Grants (Primary and Secondary Education Assistance) Act 2000 provides for the 2001-2004 quadrennium and will cease on 31 December 2004.

In order to inform development of policy, legislation and agreements for the 2005-2008 quadrennium, the department undertook consultations with government and non-government stakeholders, including parents and school communities, by establishing a working group reporting to the Australian Education Systems Officials Committee and a national forum for non-government stakeholders held in November 2003.

Face-to-face consultations in each state and territory were held during April and May 2004. Included in this process were education departments, Catholic education commissions, independent schools’ associations, other non-government schools organisations and stakeholders, and parent and principals organisations. The basis for consultations was the Australian Government Funding for Schools for the 2005-2008 Funding Quadrennium Discussion Paper. Further consultations on the funding agreements and administrative guidelines will be undertaken later in 2004.

In line with new procedures introduced by the Australian Government for the renegotiation of Specific Purpose Payments, the department chaired an Inter-Departmental Committee which met between September 2003 and March 2004, with representatives from the Departments of Treasury, Finance and Administration, and Prime Minister and Cabinet.

On 23 June 2004 the Schools Assistance (Learning Together—Achievement through Choice and Opportunity) Bill 2004 was announced. It is a significantly enhanced performance framework for Australian Government funding for 2005-2008. The performance measures and targets will continue to be a feature of schools funding for the 2005-2008 quadrennium. The new legislation proposes additional conditions and reporting provisions to meet elements of the Australian Schools Agenda.

In order to receive funding, school authorities will be required to:

• make additional commitments to achieve performance targets for Year 5 and 7 literacy and numeracy;

• assist in the timely publication of the Annual National Report on Schooling in Australia;

• report to parents on their child’s performance against the Year 3, 5 and 7 benchmarks;

• provide plain language reports to parents; and

• publish school performance information.

School authorities will also have to commit to implementing:

• a uniform national school starting age, by 2010;

• nationally consistent curriculum outcomes, by 2010; and

• the National Safe Schools Framework, by 2005.

During 2003-04 the department collected and geocoded Catholic students’ addresses to enable the Catholic systemic schools to be integrated into the socioeconomic status (SES) funding arrangements, based on the most up-to-date socioeconomic status data. The department also completed a process to collect and geocode students’ addresses for all independent schools for 2005-2008.

A key feature of the proposed new funding quadrennium is that, for the first time, from 2005, the 1610 Catholic systemic schools will become integrated into the SES funding model. From 2005 all non-government schools and systems will operate under the model as the basis for Australian Government funding of non-government schools. The SES funding model provides Australian Government support on the basis of socioeconomic status with less well off schools receiving the most support.

The Australian Government provides supplementary assistance for the recurrent costs of schools including for the most educationally disadvantaged students, based on student enrolments. Significant supplementary assistance is also provided to government and non-government schools for capital infrastructure.

The number of student enrolments for which the Australian Government provides supplementary assistance increased 0.5 per cent between 2002 and 2003 as indicated in Table 3.2.

Table 3.2: Student enrolments: Performance information for Output Group 1.1

Source: Department of Education, Science and Training.

Australian Government funding for capital works in 2003 was $241 million for government schools and $94.7 million for non-government schools.

Literacy and numeracy—benchmarks and reporting

The 2001-2004 quadrennium funding agreements require all states and territories and non-government school providers who receive grants, to report national literacy and numeracy benchmark data for Years 3, 5 and 7.

All Ministers at the MCEETYA meeting in July 2003 agreed to:

• enhance reporting of literacy and numeracy outcomes at the Year 3, 5, and 7 level—including reporting to parents their child’s achievement against the national benchmarks for reading, writing and numeracy for Years 3 and 5;

• improve access to information; and

• progress reporting of school outcomes at the senior secondary level to parents.

Data on Years 3 and 5 reading and numeracy for 2001 and data on writing for the period 1999-2001 were published in a supplement to the 2001 Annual National Report on Schooling in Australia. Data on Year 7 reading, writing and numeracy achievement for 2001 are expected to be available towards the end of 2004. It is expected that 2002 and 2003 Year 3, 5 and 7 reading, writing and numeracy benchmark data will be released in late 2004.

Figures 3.6, 3.7 and 3.8 indicate that most students are achieving acceptable literacy and numeracy standards. In 2001, around 90 per cent of students in Year 3 and 5 achieved the reading, writing and numeracy benchmarks. Girls are noticeably more literate than boys, with around 4 or 5 per cent more girls than boys achieving reading and writing benchmarks. By way of comparison, there is little difference between boys’ and girls’ performance in numeracy.

There has been a small decline in the percentage of Year 3 students achieving the writing benchmark, as shown in Figure 3.7, down from 92 per cent in 1999 to 90 per cent in 2001. With only three years of benchmark data available and acknowledging the uncertainty associated with benchmark estimates, caution needs to be exercised in interpretation of the data. Nevertheless, should the trend continue, closer attention to writing skills may be warranted.

Figure 3.6: Effectiveness Indicator—Percentage of school students achieving the national literacy benchmarks for reading, 1999-2001

Source: Annual Report on Schooling in Australia, 2000, 2001, 2002.

Figure 3.7: Effectiveness Indicator—Percentage of school students achieving the national benchmarks for writing, 1999-2001

Source: Annual Report on Schooling in Australia, 2000, 2001, 2002.

Figure 3.8: Effectiveness Indicator—Percentage of school students achieving the national numeracy benchmarks, 2000-01

Source: Annual Report on Schooling in Australia, 2001, 2002.

Australia was amongst the highest performing countries in the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) 2000, which reports literacy and numeracy achievements of 15 year olds. PISA is conducted every three years, with the latest cycle in 2003. Information on the performance of Australian students in the PISA 2003 assessment will be available at the end of 2004.

The National Literacy and Numeracy Plan continues to provide a framework for improving literacy and numeracy standards in Australia. The plan provides for national and international effort in monitoring student educational achievement; development of improved reporting arrangements and work on benchmarking; and literacy and numeracy work undertaken by the MCEETYA Performance Measurement and Reporting Taskforce.

During 2003-04 the department completed a number of projects to support the National Literacy and Numeracy Plan:

• Literacy Assessment: Strategies from the National School English Literacy Survey: is an interactive professional development site designed to help teachers use and develop assessment strategies for reading, writing, speaking, listening and viewing for students in Years 3 and 5.⁽³⁾

• Developing Schools’ Capacity to Make Performance Judgements: A project to help primary schools understand data from the state-wide literacy and numeracy programmes and to use this data for school improvement.⁽⁴⁾

• Researching Numeracy Teaching Approaches in Primary Schools: A project which identified effective classroom teaching approaches in mathematics for primary school students in a range of Victorian schools.⁽⁵⁾

• Understanding place value: A case study of the Base Ten Game: A project outlining the teaching methods, materials and management structures that are most effective in maximising students’ capacity to understand the Base 10 number system.

• Numeracy: Families working it out together, the opportunities are everywhere: A parent numeracy poster and three brochures that promote the importance of children’s numeracy development and how parents may support this in practical ways. The brochures are available in English and in translation.⁽⁶⁾

National Literacy and Numeracy Week 2003 was held from 1 to 7 September 2003, highlighting the importance to young Australians of developing effective literacy and numeracy skills. Events successfully showcased and acknowledged the outstanding and innovative work that schools and their communities are doing to improve students’ literacy and numeracy skills. Fourteen National Excellence Awards and 60 Achievement Awards were presented to schools across Australia. For the first time, five Minister’s Awards for Outstanding Contribution to Improving Literacy and/or Numeracy were awarded to individuals around Australia as part of National Literacy and Numeracy Week.

Students’ perceived ability to use computers is measured using PISA data. Australian students are well above the OECD average, which is set at zero. Figure 3.9 shows Australia’s performance relative to Hungary and the United States (the lowest and highest scores respectively).

Figure 3.9: Effectiveness Indicator—Mean index of comfort with and perceived ability to use computers of Australian students, 2000

Note: The index is constructed with the average score across countries set at 0. A positive value indicates that students frequently report they are comfortable with using a computer and that they rate their ability to use a computer as higher than that of other 15-year-olds.

Source: 15-Up and Counting, Reading, Writing, Reasoning. How literate are Australia’s students? The PISA 2000 Survey of Students’ Reading, Mathematical and Scientific Literacy Skills, 2001.

Two further supplementary reports from PISA 2000 were released in September-October 2003: Learners for Life, Student Approaches to Learning, which examined student learning characteristics and Student Engagement at School—A Sense of Belonging and Participation.

As can be seen by Figure 3.10, the PISA 2000 Assessment showed Australian 15 year olds performing well above the OECD mean score (of 500 points) in the three areas of reading literacy, mathematical literacy and scientific literacy.

Figure 3.10: Effectiveness Indicator—Mean score of Australian students in reading, mathematical and scientific literacy compared with OECD average for 2000 (set to 500).

Source: Knowledge and Skills for Life: First Results from PISA 2000, OECD, 2001, Table 4.11, p.21.

Implementation of the programme of three yearly national sample assessments for primary and secondary students in science, information and communication technology and civics and citizenship, being carried out under the sponsorship of MCEETYA, continued during 2003-04. Among key developments were:

• the first national sample assessment in Year 6 science occurred in October 2003, with results expected to be published later in 2004;

• trial assessments in civics and citizenship education at Years 6 and 10 were held in September 2003, with the first full national sample assessment due in October 2004;

• progress was made in defining the areas to be tested, including piloting a range of assessment items to assess information and communication technology knowledge and skills at Years 6 and 10, with the first full assessment planned for 2005; and

• with MCEETYA’s agreement on national measures for participation and attainment in vocational education and training in schools, work started on ensuring production of nationally consistent, Australian Vocational Education and Training Management Information Statistical Standard compliant data. Data collection will start in 2005 for reporting in 2006.

The department continued to work with the states and territories to develop student definitions for reporting nationally on the outcomes of educationally disadvantaged students. Common definitions of student gender, Indigenous status, socioeconomic status, language background (other than English) and geographical location are to be implemented from 2005. During 2003-04 the department progressed work on a national definition for students with disabilities.

Establishment Grants Programme

During the year the Establishment Grants programme was reviewed. The report, Evaluation of the Establishment Grants Programme, was released in December 2003. Its recommendations relate to the eligibility criteria applied to new school applications, accountability arrangements, the availability of information about the programme and future funding arrangements.⁽⁷⁾

The Establishment Grants programme will continue in the next quadrennium with the same allocative mechanisms and eligibility conditions currently in place. A number of administrative changes will be implemented in the next quadrennium. The Administrative Guidelines, the Application and Information Booklets for new schools, and the departmental web site will be enhanced to provide more detailed information about the matters the department considers when assessing applications for funding.

Parents

The department developed and published Parents’ and Community Members’ Attitudes to Schooling.⁽⁸⁾  The nationwide survey reveals that 83 per cent of parents are either satisfied or very satisfied with their child’s school. Some of the findings are: 95 per cent of parents support the wearing of school uniforms; ‘shaded areas’ rated alongside ‘technology facilities’ and ‘libraries’ as vital in schools; ‘discipline’ and ‘values’ were the highest rated social factors in school choice; and ‘quality of teaching’ was the single most important factor parents looked for when choosing a school.

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Strategic Priority 2: Improved learning outcomes for Indigenous students

Significant progress has been made in improving the educational outcomes for young Indigenous students, but they remain substantially below national averages. Closing the educational divide between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians remains one of the Australian Government’s highest education priorities. The Australian Government is committed to enabling Indigenous Australians to fully and successfully participate in further education, employment and society in general.

Indigenous Education Strategic Initiatives Programme

The Australian Government, under the Indigenous Education (Targeted Assistance) Act 2000, provides funding on a quadrennium basis for the Indigenous Education Strategic Initiatives Programme (IESIP). IESIP provides funding under several discrete elements: Supplementary Recurrent Assistance; Targeted Outcomes Projects, English as a Second Language—Indigenous Language Speaking Students; and the IESIP away-from-base. Funding is provided for the full range of education providers, including preschool, school, and vocational education and training.

Funding is also provided through IESIP to progress the objectives of the National Indigenous English Literacy and Numeracy Strategy. Through this Strategy, the Australian Government, in collaboration with the states and territories, works towards enabling Indigenous students to reach levels of literacy and numeracy comparable to other Australians. The Strategy is a blueprint to lift school attendance rates, address health problems that undermine learning, attract and retain good teachers and use the most effective teaching methods to obtain successful results for Indigenous students.

2005-2008 Indigenous education package

During 2003-04 the department developed a futures oriented strategy for the 2005-2008 quadrennium, based on reviews and evaluations of the Indigenous education and training programmes and through programme reporting processes. Consultations between Australian Government departments, states and territories and non-government education providers in the preschool, school and vocational education and training sectors and Indigenous education support units occurred.

• Performance monitoring meetings were held with major school and vocational education and training sector providers (government and non-government) in each jurisdiction during the second half of 2003.

• Consistent with Australian Government procedures for the renegotiation of Specific Purpose Payments, an Inter Departmental Committee was established to inform and advise the government on the Indigenous education package for the 2005-2008 quadrennium. The committee convened between August 2003 and March 2004.

• To further inform the development of arrangements for the 2005-2008 quadrennium, the department issued a discussion paper Indigenous Education Achievement through choice and opportunity—Australian Government Indigenous-specific funding for the 2005-2008 Quadrennium in April 2004. Discussions were held in all states and territories, including with government and non-government stakeholders, parents, school communities, the Australian Education Union, Australian Indigenous Training Council, Federation of Independent Aboriginal Education Providers and the Indigenous Education Consultative Bodies.

• The Minister wrote to 3800 Aboriginal Student Support and Parent Awareness committees to inform them about changes to the way the Australian Government would support Aboriginal Student Support and Parent Awareness committees over the next four years, and to over 6000 school principals on 5 April 2004.

• The department developed a Change Management and Communications Strategy to inform education stakeholders and Indigenous communities about the new arrangements.

Work undertaken during 2003 has heavily influenced the 2005-2008 Indigenous education package which was announced by the Minister on 5 April 2004. This included significant strengthening of accountability arrangements for funding agreements, including financial and educational accountability conditions, monitoring and reporting of educational outcomes at regional levels and provisions enabling intervention to address underperformance by funding recipients.

Existing programmes have been reformed in order to redirect resources to initiatives that have demonstrably improved outcomes. There is an emphasis on early childhood development as preparation for formal schooling, attendance, improving literacy and numeracy skills, and encouraging students to stay at school to Year 12 or the vocational education equivalent.

In addition, there is a greater weighting of resources towards Indigenous students of greatest disadvantage—those in remote areas:

• A high proportion (around 40 per cent) of Indigenous youth aged 15-19 in remote localities have an education attainment below Year 10 (see Figure 3.11).

• A correspondingly low proportion of Indigenous young people in remote localities achieve a Year 12 qualification (see Figure 3.12). The likelihood of achieving a Year 12 qualification decreases markedly as location becomes more distant from a metropolitan centre.

Figure 3.11: Proportion of Indigenous and non-Indigenous 15-19 year olds with education attainment below Year 10, by locality, 2001

Source: Department of Education, Science and Training and Australian Bureau of Statistics (Census data 2001).

Figure 3.12: Proportion of Indigenous and non-Indigenous 15-19 year olds with education attainment of Year 12, by locality, 2001

Source: Department of Education, Science and Training and Australian Bureau of Statistics (Census data 2001).

During 2003-04, as part of the 2005-2008 quadrennium funding arrangements, the department started developing an Indigenous education performance reporting and monitoring framework and an accountability and evaluation strategy, covering both the Indigenous Education Direct Assistance programme and the Indigenous Education Strategic Initiatives Programme. The framework is proposed to come into effect in 2005.

The department is clearly focused on improving mainstream service provision for Indigenous students and better focusing Indigenous specific resources to the most disadvantaged Indigenous students.

Whole of government approaches

The department contributed to the Council of Australian Governments’ (COAG) whole of government strategy on Indigenous issues. The aim of the whole of government approach is to deliver more effective responses to the needs of Indigenous people, including in the area of education, through improved coordination and delivery of services. The department has taken the leadership role in implementing this approach in the Murdi Paaki region in the north western part of New South Wales. During 2003-04 the department worked with Indigenous communities and Australian Government and state agencies to improve outcomes for Indigenous people in the region.

Achievements include:

• a Shared Responsibility Agreement signed on 22 August 2003 between DEST, the New South Wales Department of Education, and the Murdi Paaki Regional Council;

• sixteen Community Working Parties designated as the primary community body for consultation and negotiation with governments under the Shared Responsibility Agreement;

• the Community Working Party Governance workshop (8-10 March 2004). The Workshop built on the regional Shared Responsibility Agreement and provided participants with the opportunity to develop more effective networks and share understandings of the Council of Australian Government’s trial;

• Murdi Paaki Trial Coordination structures established and functional with Australian Government, state and community representation;

• sixteen Secretariat positions established to support the Community Working Parties in each of the communities in Murdi Paaki involved in the trial (funding with assistance from the Department of Employment and Workplace Relations and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Services); and

• six Community Working Parties appointed consultants to help develop Community Plans to assist communities to identify their priorities, and negotiate with governments, to form Local Shared Responsibility Agreements (funding provided through the Department of Family and Community Services).

The department is playing a key role in the reforms to the administration of Indigenous affairs. These reforms were announced on 15 April 2004 by the Prime Minister and Minister for Immigration and Multicultural and Indigenous Affairs. The reforms will introduce a whole of government approach to the provision of programmes and services to Indigenous Australians and will be informed by the learnings from the Indigenous COAG trials under way throughout Australia.

The reforms provide an opportunity for the department to extend its existing networks with Indigenous communities and other Australian Government and state agencies, and to improve outcomes for Indigenous people.

Reviews and evaluations

Several Indigenous education programme reviews have been completed, including:

• Review of the Indigenous Independent Vocational Education and Training (VET) Providers;

• Review of Indigenous Education Consultative Bodies and Indigenous Support Units;

• Review of Aboriginal Tutorial Assistance Scheme Bulk Funding Arrangements to Higher Education and Boarding Schools;

• Phase 2 Review of the Indigenous Education Direct Assistance programme; and

• Evaluation of the National Indigenous English Literacy and Numeracy Strategy.

The findings of the reviews informed the significant changes proposed to the Indigenous Education Direct Assistance programmes’ settings and directions for the 2005-2008 quadrennium, to achieve greater impact on student learning outcomes.

Outcomes of the reviews underpin the significant restructuring of the Indigenous Education Direct Assistance programme, proposed for implementation from January 2005, with focus and effort to be heavily weighted towards remote regions. The Indigenous Education Direct Assistance programme will be brought under the Indigenous Education (Targeted Assistance) Act 2000 for 2005-2008, to provide programme funds for the quadrennium and align the programme with the calendar year rather than the financial year.

An evaluation of the impact made on Indigenous participation in education by the ABSTUDY policy changes, introduced in January 2000, is being conducted and is due to be finalised by November 2004. The review is examining a broad range of factors that could have impacted on ABSTUDY recipients in addition to the ABSTUDY policy changes, including labour market conditions, and developments in the higher education and VET sectors. A round of consultations with Indigenous stakeholders and providers, based on a discussion paper, will form part of the review process.

School children Abraham Campbell and Joshua Campbell learn about insects at the Yarralin School near Katherine, Northern Territory.

National Report to Parliament on Indigenous Education and Training 2002

On 6 November 2003 the department’s National Report to Parliament on Indigenous Education and Training 2002 was tabled in Parliament. This is the second such report. The report found that on many measures, the results and the specific outcomes for Indigenous students are the best to date. For example, the latest Year 3 numeracy and writing, and Year 5 reading, numeracy and writing results for Indigenous students were the best ever in five out of six national benchmark areas (see Table 3.3). There was a 12.3 per cent increase in Year 12 enrolments to a record 2941 students. This contributed to a record Year 12 retention rate of 38 per cent, up from 29 per cent in 1996. However, this is still only half that of non-Indigenous Australians (see Figure 3.13).

Table 3.3: Percentage of Indigenous students achieving the reading, writing and numeracy benchmarks, Years 3 and 5, Australia, 1999-2001

na—not available, information for 2002 will be available at the end of 2004.
Source: National Report on Schooling in Australia 1999, 2000 and 2001.

Figure 3.13: Apparent retention rate of Indigenous and non-Indigenous full-time students from Year 7/8 to Year 12, 2000-2003

Source: Schools Australia 2003.

It can be seen, however, that there was no apparent lessening of the gap in retention rates between Indigenous and non-Indigenous students over the same period.

Table 3.4 shows that between 2002 and 2003 the number of full-time Indigenous students enrolled in school education, including preschool students, increased by 4554 students (or 3.5 per cent). This included a sharp increase in secondary enrolments (up 6.6 per cent).

Table 3.4: Indigenous students: Performance information for Output Group 1.2

a Reported in the 2002-03 Annual Report as 26 946. This was the actual number for the 2000-01 financial year.
Source: Department of Education, Science and Training.

ABSTUDY

Between 2002 and 2003 the number of school students receiving ABSTUDY increased (see Table 3.4).

To improve service delivery to clients, a joint Centrelink-DEST ABSTUDY business improvement project was undertaken during 2002 to 2004. Agreement has been reached by the two agencies to implement a range of service delivery improvements, including simplification of forms and improved communication with clients.

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Strategic Priority 3: Enhance the quality of teaching and learning in a safe and supportive environment

The acquisition of high quality foundation skills and learning outcomes is dependent on a school system that:

• has highly skilled and motivated teaching professionals who have access to ongoing professional learning opportunities;

• provides quality learning outcomes for students from all groups within the Australian community, including those from low socioeconomic, rural and remote and non-English speaking backgrounds and those with disabilities;

• provides a curriculum relevant to Australia’s future needs, including science, technology and languages other than English;

• takes advantage of the latest technology to provide access to, and to enrich, the learning experience; and

• provides a safe and supportive learning environment, including one that is free of bullying, harassment and drugs.

Programmes of targeted assistance

The Australian Government funds a number of programmes of targeted assistance to improve learning outcomes for individuals with special needs under the States Grants (Primary and Secondary Education Assistance) Act 2000. These programmes include the Strategic Assistance for Improving Student Outcomes programme; the National Literacy and Numeracy Strategies and Projects programme; the Special Education—Non-government Centre Support programme; the Country Areas programme; and the English as a Second Language New Arrivals programme. Through these programmes, funding is provided to government and non-government school education authorities in the states and territories, taking into account the numbers of students in each of the targeted groups for the particular authority. Assistance is also provided to individual rural and isolated school students who are unable to access an appropriate government school on a daily basis because of geographic isolation.

Table 3.5 shows the trend in clients receiving funding under some of these programmes.

Table 3.5: Programmes of targeted assistance: Performance information for Output Group 1.2

na—not applicable
Source: Department of Education, Science and Training.

In December 2003, Parliament passed the States Grants (Primary and Secondary Education Assistance) Amendment Act 2003, thereby providing continued funding over four years through the Strategic Assistance for Improving Student Outcomes programme.

Disadvantaged students

Improving the learning outcomes of educationally disadvantaged students continues to be a high priority for the Australian Government, and one of the national goals for schooling is that the learning outcomes of educationally disadvantaged students improve and, over time, match those of other students.

The Australian Government released the Final Draft Disability Standards for Education on 15 June 2004. The Attorney-General intends to introduce legislation to amend the Disability Discrimination Act 1992 to ensure that the Standards are fully supported. The Standards will provide clarity for education providers about their obligations under the Disability Discrimination Act and for students with disabilities about their entitlements.⁽⁹⁾

Two national research projects are underway (for completion in 2006) to investigate:

• how to improve learning outcomes of students with disabilities who are in mainstream classes in the early, middle and post-compulsory years of schooling; and

• effective ‘third wave’ intervention strategies for students with learning difficulties who are in mainstream schools in Years 4, 5 and 6.

The Tutorial Credit Initiative is a pilot programme offering tutorial assistance to children who were below the Year 3 national reading benchmark in 2003. The programme will be introduced in the second half of 2004. A detailed external evaluation will also be undertaken as part of the pilot.

Review of Teaching and Teacher Education

The Review of Teaching and Teacher Education was a major initiative under the Australian Government’s original $3 billion innovation statement Backing Australia’s Ability. The purpose of the review, which was funded through the Australian Government Quality Teacher programme, was to identify strategies to attract and retain talented people into teaching, especially in the fields of science, technology and mathematics and to promote a culture of innovation in Australian schools.

The review report, Australia’s Teachers: Australia’s Future—Advancing Innovation, Science, Technology and Mathematics, was launched by the Minister for Education, Science and Training on 9 October 2003 and disseminated widely.⁽¹⁰⁾

The review identified five broad priority areas for action, underpinned by 54 specific actions. The priority areas are:

• energising the sciences and technology, and prioritising innovation in schools;

• planning and collaboration to attract and retain quality teachers;

• revitalising the teaching profession;

• strengthening teacher education and professional learning; and

• supporting future schools through leadership, teams and partnerships.

The review report helped inform the Australian Schools Agenda and subsequent consultation processes, as well as the Australian Government’s identification of and support for teacher education as a national higher education priority.

The Australian Government responded to particular findings and recommendations of the Review report by announcing in the 2004-05 Budget, new measures to boost innovation, science, technology and mathematics teaching, as part of the Backing Australia’s Ability- Building Our Future through Science and Innovation initiatives. Some $35.2 million in administered funds over the next seven years has been provided for a new programme, Boosting Innovation, Science, Technology and Mathematics Teaching, to foster innovation in schools and develop the innovative capacities of students by promoting high-calibre teaching that engages students. New measures will include around 500 school science and innovation projects and around 1300 undergraduates and early career researchers in science, technology and mathematics to be placed in schools to work with teachers.

Also supporting the findings of the review is the new National Institute for Quality Teaching and School Leadership, launched on 3 June 2004, which will play an important role in improving the quality and status of school teaching and leadership. Teacher and school leader representatives are managing the Institute which has four key functions: professional standards development; professional learning for school leaders and classroom teachers; research and communication; and promotion of the profession.

The Australian Government Quality Teacher programme supports teachers and school leaders to update and improve skills and understanding in areas of national importance. Funding was provided to the states and territories for teacher professional development activities through the Australian Government Quality Teacher programme. In 2003, there were 68 004 teacher participants (see Table 3.6).

Table 3.6: Professional development for teachers: Performance information for Output Group 1.3

na—not available

Funding is also allocated for strategic national projects.

During 2002-03 the department collaborated with the states and the territories to develop a national framework for professional standards for teachers for consideration by MCEETYA. The framework was endorsed in July 2003.⁽¹¹⁾

National Framework for Education Taskforce

The department established a National Framework for Education Taskforce in July 2003 to look at new ways of connecting policy, and gathering and exploring internal and external ideas. The taskforce has collaborated across the department to consider how to best identify and meet the needs of Australian students and their families in the 21st century. A major public activity was a national consultation with parents about schooling.

Taking Schools to the Next Level—the National Education Framework for Schools, was a national consultation with parents and the community, announced jointly by the Prime Minister and the Minister on 11 March 2004. The consultation kit comprised a discussion paper and response form covering 16 important schooling issues and was published in hard copy, online ⁽¹²⁾ and on CD-ROM. More than 30 000 kits were distributed through schools and parent organisations, as well as to individuals and groups who requested copies. The web site received more than 700 000 hits and 20 000 visits. Over 900 detailed and comprehensive responses from across Australia were submitted. Responses came from individual parents, families and parent groups, as well as from teachers, principals, student teachers, school students, interested members of the community and other organisations. Parents, in particular, expressed appreciation for the opportunity to have their say. Responses have contributed to development of the Australian Schools Agenda.

The department also developed a website and guide, Year 12—what next? This initiative addresses a need for information, about working life in the future and vocational education and training and university course options, identified during the national consultation with parents.

Learning for the Knowledge Society

The Australian Government has adopted a holistic, cross-sectoral approach to the use of information and communication technology (ICT) in education and training. The overall strategic context is set out in Learning for the Knowledge Society, a high level action plan endorsed by MCEETYA. Further information on the ICT agenda in higher education and vocational education and training can be found under Outcome 2, Strategic Priority 8.

The school sector component of the action plan is entitled Learning in an Online World: a school education action plan for the information economy. Australian state and territory governments have endorsed this document as the national strategic blueprint to guide the implementation of ICT in schools for 2003-2006.

During 2003-04, the department collaborated with state and territory governments on a joint project to develop online curriculum resources, services and applications known as The Le@rning Federation—Schools Online Curriculum Content Initiative. The Australian Government is providing $34.1 million over five years (2001-2006) to support this initiative, with states and territories collectively matching this amount. New Zealand is also participating.

To date, the first Science, Literacy and Mathematics/Numeracy materials have been released to education systems for trialling and integration into their learning systems. During 2004-05, the first materials in: Studies of Australia; Innovation, Enterprise and Creativity; and Languages other than English will be released. These online materials form a new tool to enhance the learning experience of Australian students.

The initiative is also developing:

• technical infrastructure to enable the procurement, management, discovery and distribution of curriculum content;

• technical specifications to facilitate sharing, distribution and reuse of curriculum content; and

• policies and process related to ownership and management of intellectual property .⁽¹³⁾

Work has continued in a range of other priority areas including teacher professional development, student ICT performance measures, provision of computer technologies for schools, and digital copyright issues.

Boys’ education

Delivering professional learning activities for teachers and sharing best practices in addressing the educational needs for boys has also progressed. In June 2004 the Prime Minister and the Minister announced the allocation of $19.4 million over four years, beginning 2004-05, for the Success for Boys initiative. This initiative will support some 1600 schools to implement proven approaches to improve the education of boys. The initiative follows the $8 million allocated for Stages One and Two of the Boys’ Education Lighthouse Schools (BELS) initiative and related initiatives, such as research into significant areas of education relevant to boys.

Students of Bayswater Primary School, Victoria, with Minister Nelson at the launch of Stage Two of the Boys’ Education Lighthouse Schools (BELS) Project
on 27 April 2004.

In 2001, 88 per cent of Year 5 boys achieved the national reading benchmark, compared with 92 per cent of girls. Recent research shows that, in some instances, boys represent up to two-thirds of those in the bottom quartile of school achievers. While boys’ school retention rates are increasing, they are still below the rate for girls. The department implemented Stage One of the BELS initiative in 2003. This involved 230 schools documenting their successful practices in educating boys. Stage Two of the BELS initiative started in April 2004 and involves 51 schools acting as ‘lighthouses’ to their communities. Lighthouse Schools champion effective approaches to address the educational needs of boys, and work closely with their partner schools, delivering professional learning activities for teachers and sharing best practice.

Safe Schools Framework

In July 2003 MCEETYA endorsed the National Safe Schools Framework.⁽¹⁴⁾ The framework consists of a set of nationally agreed principles for a safe and supportive school environment and includes appropriate responses schools can adopt to address the issues of bullying, harassment, violence and child abuse, including sexual abuse and neglect. It will be a condition of Australian Government funding for 2005-2008 that all schools implement this framework.

The Australian Government is supporting schools to implement the framework through a $4.5 million package of initiatives, which includes funding for teachers’ professional learning; grants for schools to select, implement and showcase effective programmes; funding for materials and other support to guide the implementation of the framework; and funding to support the Bullying. No Way! web site.⁽¹⁵⁾

School drug education

During 2003-04, an evaluation of the National School Drug Education Strategy and COAG ‘Tough on Drugs in Schools’ measures was finalised.

The evaluation found that the measures made a significant contribution to developing and supporting school drug education across Australian schools and that there has been an increased level of participation by schools in drug education related activities. As a result of the evaluation, the Australian Government 2004-05 Budget provided $14.9 million to continue the National School Drug Education Strategy to 2007-08. This will ensure there is:

• continued national support for whole-school drug education programmes for all students and staff;

• strategies to address the needs of students and staff in the early and primary years of schooling and the needs of targeted population groups, including Indigenous school communities and rural and remote regions; and

• monitoring and evaluation.

Funding was also provided for drugs forums in schools under the government’s new values education initiative (further details below).

Democracy and citizenship

An evaluation of the Discovering Democracy civics and citizenship education programme⁽¹⁶⁾ was released in May 2004. The evaluation found that Discovering Democracy has helped revitalise civics and citizenship education nationally. One-half of the schools surveyed made regular use of the Discovering Democracy curriculum resources and teachers consistently praised the Discovering Democracy resources. One head of Department of Studies of Society and the Environment described the Discovering Democracy kit as the most useful set of materials in his 25 years of teaching.

Funding of $4.9 million for civics and citizenship education supports curriculum resources through a continuing civics and citizenship education web site and national activities such as Celebrating Democracy Week in schools and the National Schools Constitutional Convention.

Values education

On 18 November 2003, the Minister released the final Values Education Study report⁽¹⁷⁾ which features a Draft National Framework for Values Education in Australian Schools. The report includes 50 innovative values education case studies from 69 schools nationally. It also includes research on values currently taught, how they were developed and how that compares with approaches in other countries. The Draft Framework from the study was circulated to all principals for discussion with their school communities. It was also discussed at the first National Forum on Values Education in Melbourne in April 2004. Following feedback, the Minister will be seeking state and territory Ministers’ agreement to adopting a Framework. It will be a condition of Australian Government financial assistance to the states and territories, for government and non-government schools in the period 2005-2008 that the agreed framework is displayed prominently in all schools.

The Values Education Study and the evaluation of Discovering Democracy resulted in funding of $34.6 million over four years to help make values a core part of schooling and to continue supporting civics and citizenship education. Funding of $29.7 million for the Australian Government’s values education initiative, supports values education through:

• values education forums in every school in Australia involving the whole school community;

• drug education forums in every school;

• champion schools showcasing best practice approaches;

• curriculum and assessment resources on teaching values; and

• national activities including partnership projects with parents, teachers, school principals and teacher educators.

Early childhood

In 2003-04, work continued on development of the National Agenda for Early Childhood. The Agenda has early learning and care as a key focus area. The department was a key contributor towards the development of the Agenda, through the Inter-departmental Taskforce on Child Development, Health and Wellbeing.

Consultations with academics, government officials, peak bodies and workers across the education, health, welfare and children’s services sectors, Indigenous people and parents and carers to discuss the proposals to develop the National Agenda concluded in 2003. Work is currently underway by the Taskforce, led by the Department of Family and Community Services, to seek the collaboration of state and territory governments in jointly progressing the Agenda.

Languages education

During 2003-04, the department worked through MCEETYA to improve national collaboration on languages education. A working party of the Student Learning and Support Services Taskforce has prepared a National Statement for Languages Education in Australian Schools and a National Plan for 2005-2008 for MCEETYA’s consideration.

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Strategic Priority 4: Improved transitions of young people through school to further education and training or work

An Australian Government priority is to enhance young people’s foundation skills by preparing them for work and equipping them to make broader contributions to their community. The National Goals for Schooling in the 21st Century include young people having employment-related skills and an understanding of the work environment, career options and recognised pathways to employment and further education and training. In addition, school students should be able to participate in vocational learning during the compulsory years and have access to vocational education and training programmes as part of their senior secondary studies. The Australian Government provides funding for a range of programmes to improve the training and employment opportunities of young people.

Vocational education and training in schools

An Inquiry into Vocational Education in Schools commenced in 2002. The House of Representatives Standing Committee on Education and Training conducted this Inquiry and received 116 written submissions, with 455 witnesses, representing a wide range of groups and individuals. The department provided a submission and the Standing Committee conducted hearings with the department in December 2002 and June 2003. The report from the House of Representatives Inquiry into Vocational Education in Schools, Learning to Work, was tabled in Parliament on 29 March 2004. The Inquiry Report presents a comprehensive analysis of many of the key issues that relate to vocational education pathways for young people. The report outlines Australia’s significant progress in developing vocational education as a legitimate pathway for students from school to work. The department is leading the development of a response to the Inquiry Report and its recommendations which is expected to be tabled in Parliament later in 2004.

The MCEETYA data for VET in Schools for 2002 (2002 Report—National Data on Participation in VET in Schools Programmes for the 2002 School Year) shows continued growth, variety and mainstreaming of VET in Schools (see Table 3.7). Overall, the data indicates that VET in Schools is increasingly part of the mainstream curriculum across Australia. There is steady and consistent growth across the jurisdictions, as shown by the following 2002 figures:

• the number of participants in VET in Schools has grown by 9.3 per cent to 185 520 students;

• 44 per cent of all senior secondary students are in VET in Schools programmes (compared to 41 per cent in 2002);

• 95 per cent of senior secondary students include VET in Schools offerings;

• 60.5 per cent of students undertaking VET in Schools programmes were involved in structured work placements in 2002 (compared with 55 per cent in 2001); and

• average hours of Structured Workplace Learning (SWL) is 66 hours in 2002 and the demand for SWL placements is expected to rise along with Training Package implementation by the jurisdictions.

Table 3.7: Number of students in VET in schools: Performance information for Output Group 1.4

Source: MCEETYA National data on participation in VET in Schools programmes for the 2002 school year.

The programmes the department administers continue to help young people make a smooth transition through school. Local Community Partnerships across Australia administer Structured Workplace Learning (see Table 3.8), which is undertaken within a workplace. This is a component of a VET in Schools programme with businesses and industry providing on-the-job training and mentoring to develop both technical and generic employability skills. At a local level, Local Community Partnerships bring together schools, employers and community groups to work cooperatively to provide students in Years 11 and 12 with opportunities in workplaces that help them make informed educational and vocational choices.

Table 3.8: Structured Workplace Learning: Performance information for Output Group 1.4

^a In 2003, the Australian Government (through the Enterprise and Career Education Foundation) entered into a Framework Agreement with the New South Wales Department of Education and Training for the delivery of Structured Workplace Learning in New South Wales. In 2003, the Australian Government contribution to the Agreement was $3.440 million resulting in 51 863 work placements for 48 045 young people. The agreement also required an approximate equivalent contribution from the New South Wales Department of Education and Training. Structured Workplace Learning activity previously only included 50 per cent of outcomes for New South Wales, reflecting the 50 per cent Australian Government contribution. Consistent with outcome data reporting in other States, figures in Table 3.8 for 2003 now reflect 100 per cent of students, placements and employers in New South Wales.
Source: Department of Education, Science and Training.

Relationships with industry

The department provides funding to engage peak industry bodies, such as the Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the Australian Industry Group, Rural Skills Australia and Group Training Australia, to support vocational learning opportunities and effective school-to-work transitions for young Australians.

A national transitions system

A key objective of the Australian Government is to progress development of an integrated transitions system. To ensure a consistent and holistic approach, the department has aligned transition programmes with the broader suite of Australian Government schools and youth focused programmes. At the end of September 2003, the responsibilities of the Enterprise and Career Education Foundation were successfully transferred to the department. An Interim Board was appointed to oversee the formal conclusion of the Company.

MCEETYA has developed the Career and Transition Services Framework to support a coherent national career and transition system. The MCEETYA Framework presents a range of options that support young people in making effective transitions through school and between school and post-school destinations. The Framework expands upon many of the concepts in the July 2002 Ministerial Declaration Stepping Forward—improving pathways for all young people and in its Action Plan. During 2003-04 the department produced and distributed a poster and booklet to promote the MCEETYA framework.

The development of future career and transition arrangements will be informed by the outcomes of the evaluation of the Partnership Outreach Education Model (POEM) and Career and Transition (CAT) pilots.

The CAT pilot funded 20 providers across Australia to trial new methodologies for the delivery of timely, relevant and professional career and transition information, planning, guidance, advice and support to all young people aged 13-19 years. An independent evaluation report of the CAT pilot was completed in February 2004⁽¹⁸⁾. The evaluation found that the programme has assisted more than 37 000 young Australians aged 13-19 years to become more actively engaged in planning their own careers.

The POEM pilots help young people aged 13-19, who are disconnected from mainstream schooling and, at times, from family and community support, to develop their education levels, life skills, self esteem and employability skills in community based learning environments. An evaluation of the POEM pilots was completed in June 2004⁽¹⁹⁾. The evaluation found that POEM pilots proved beneficial to young people previously disconnected from school. Forty per cent of participants who graduated from POEM projects moved into mainstream education and training, 19 per cent into employment or New Apprenticeships, and 10 per cent to other programmes. First established as pilots in 2002, these programmes will be funded to the end of 2005.

The Jobs Pathway Programme (JPP) has helped around 66 000 young people aged 14-19, from around 1700 schools. These young people were ‘at risk’ of not making a smooth transition through school and from school to further education, training or employment (see Table 3.9).

Table 3.9: Jobs Pathway Programme: Performance information for Output Group 1.4

Source: Department of Education, Science and Training.

Employability skills

A major action research project on Enterprise Education, under the Enterprise and Career Education programme, was completed in April 2004. The research included 192 Australian schools and identifies innovative approaches to enterprise education. A Project Report and associated support materials, case study booklet and monographs, have been developed. The booklet and monographs were mailed to all primary and secondary schools in August 2004.

The department also led national work to progress an employability skills initiative to collaboratively develop a recognition and recording model for the eight groupings of employability skills. Further developmental work on models for a skills portfolio is planned for later in 2004.

The MCEETYA Transitions from School Taskforce developed a prototype Australian Blueprint for Career Development which provides a set of life and work competencies for people of all ages to manage their career at various points in their lives. It is expected that the Blueprint will be trialled during 2004.

Other support for young people in transition

The department facilitated one national forum, and eight state and territory Leaders in Careers forums, which brought together leaders from industry, schools, careers practitioners, parents and students to identify a range of actions for the increased engagement of these sectors in the delivery of careers education in schools. The department is progressing Action Plans developed at these forums with the involvement of employers, schools, and community groups.

The department implemented several initiatives to strengthen career advice including the development of a Professional Development Package for careers advisers to improve their skills in providing advice, support and information to young people making crucial decisions in their final years of study. The package includes a best practice resource, ‘ReCaP’; an accredited online course; and an elective course in career education to be offered as part of Bachelor of Education Degrees.

Further initiatives, commenced during 2003-04 to strengthen career services included: the development of professional standards and an accreditation scheme for career practitioners; scholarships for schools career advisers to participate in study or industry placements; career forums for school principals and career advisers held in conjunction with major career expos across Australia; strengthening the national network of 216 local community partnerships to support students to make career choices; inclusion of information for parents about their children’s career options for inclusion in the Job Guide from 2005; and exploring the feasibility of a national career telephone helpline service.

In 2003 the OECD released a comparative report on career guidance and public policy that built on analyses of career services, programmes and policies in 14 countries, including Australia. The OECD’s evaluation of Australia’s career development services and programmes has informed establishment of strategic priorities for career development policy (see Strategic Priority 9, Output Group 2.3).

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Departmental Outputs

The department’s outcomes and outputs framework provides for five departmental outputs. These are: administration; policy advising; ministerial and parliamentary services; research, analysis and evaluation; and service delivery. During the year the department conducted activities across the breadth of these outputs. Information on key activities is generally reported against the strategic priorities; other performance information for departmental outputs is reported below.

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Administration

Administration is the implementation, management and regulation of the department’s programmes. It includes communicating information relating to the Portfolio, its objectives and programmes to client groups and other stakeholders. Administration embodies the efficient, effective and ethical use of Australian Government resources. Outputs include contract and tender administration and management of funding.

For Outcome 1 the department administered grants and payments to state and territory governments, non-government school authorities, educational bodies and schools, as well as to community groups.

Compliance with payment and management processes is measured through the Administered Funds Quality Assurance Packages developed for selected programmes. Schools Grants and Indigenous Education Direct Assistance programme recipients achieved 100 per cent compliance (for 2002-03 this was also 100 per cent) and 97.3 per cent compliance (for 2002-03 this was 97.6 per cent) respectively, well above the target compliance rate of 90 per cent.

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Policy advising

Policy advising is the provision of a policy advice capacity or service to Ministers, national committees and other relevant clients.

The department’s performance in delivering policy advice to the Minister is assessed against a number of criteria. The Minister rates the provision of briefing advice and information against a five-point scale for timeliness, presentation and quality. Ministerial briefings received a rating of satisfactory or above in more than 98 per cent of cases for presentation and quality, and over 92 per cent for timeliness. During 2003-04, the department provided in excess of 1300 briefs to the Minister for this Outcome.

Table 3.10: Performance in briefing advice and information to the Minister (Outcome 1)

Source: Department of Education, Science and Training.

Further information on the department’s performance for policy advising can be found in Chapter 8—Enabling Our Business.

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Ministerial and parliamentary services

Ministerial and parliamentary services are the services provided to the Ministers and Parliament. During 2003-04, the department prepared over 4880 replies to ministerial correspondence for this Outcome, an increase over the 2700 replies in 2002-03. It also finalised responses to 1074 parliamentary questions, an increase from over 900 in 2002-03.⁽²⁰⁾ Ministerial and parliamentary services are assessed according to timeliness (see Table 3.11).

Table 3.11: Performance in services to the Minister and Parliament (Outcome 1)

Source: Department of Education, Science and Training.

Further information on the department’s performance for ministerial and parliamentary service can be found in Chapter 8—Enabling Our Business.

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Research, analysis and evaluation

Research, analysis and evaluation is undertaken to assist in policy development and programme management and to measure the effectiveness of policy against stated outcomes. The department’s Triennial Research Plan identifies the research work of the department within the context of the government’s overall strategic and operational priorities. The Triennial Research Plan is a rolling plan reviewed annually.

In general, specific research, analysis and evaluation activity and results are reported under each strategic priority. In addition, the following have been a major focus of ongoing research, analysis and evaluation activity within the department.

Longitudinal Survey of Australian Youth

The Longitudinal Survey of Australian Youth (LSAY) programme is jointly managed by the department and the Australian Council for Educational Research. In its present form LSAY consists of three cohorts of young Australians (selected in 1995, 1998 and 2003 at roughly the middle year of secondary school), each of which is surveyed annually until about age 25. Data collection focuses on secondary schooling, the transition from school to tertiary education and training, and participation in the workforce. The longitudinal nature of the survey enables the department to identify pathways through and the outcomes of education and training, as well as to look at those factors which seem to be significantly associated with those pathways and outcomes. During 2003-04, LSAY research output has focused on the areas of:

• analysis of Year 12 participation in Australia;

• analysis of the profiles and pathways of school leavers in Australia;

• analysis of career aspirations of young people;

• analysis of community participation by Australian youth; and

• analysis of the Australian youth labour market.

Current work includes development of a set of social capital questions in LSAY to further explain education outcomes and pathways.

Youth transitions and choice

The department has taken over some of the research commissioned by the previous Enterprise and Career Education Foundation—in particular:

• report on the 2003 structured workplace learning student destinations survey; and

• report on the follow-up to the young visions study.

Other work relating to young people and choice has included a study on career decision making of school students.

Teacher and parent issues

Analysis of supply and demand of primary and secondary teachers is undertaken on behalf of the MCEETYA.

International studies

The department contributes to a range of international studies including:

• two international thematic reports from the Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) 2000 on student engagement and student learning characteristics;

• PISA 2003, the focus of which assesses the three domains of reading, mathematics and scientific literacy. The focus for 2003 was mathematics literacy;

• Trends in Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS); and

• OECD Education at a Glance.

The department published 26 research and evaluation reports related to Outcome 1 activities. These are listed in Appendix 8.

Service delivery

Service delivery is the direct delivery of services to external parties. The department continued to administer the DEST—Centrelink Business Partnership Agreement for delivery of services in support of the ABSTUDY and Assistance for Isolated Children schemes. Centrelink performance against the key indicators set out in the agreement was satisfactory.

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a The reporting period for this programme covers 18 months from January 2002 to mid 2003, therefore the number of teachers participating in professional development for 2002 is a pro rata estimate.
Source Department of education, Science and Training.

1 see <http://www.dest.gov.au/schools/adelaide/adelaide.htm>
2 see <http://www.dest.gov.au/ministers/nelson/jun_04/npm_220604.htm>
3 see <http://www.in2assessment.edu.au>
4 see <http://www.dest.gov.au/schools/publications/2004/index.htm#2>
5 see <http://www.dest.gov.au/schools/publications/2004/index.htm#12>
6 see <http://www.dest.gov.au/schools/publications/2004/index.htm>
7 see <http://www.dest.gov.au/research/publications/eval_est_grants_prg/report.htm>
8 see <http://www.dest.gov.au/research/attitudes_to_schooling/default.htm>
9 The Standards and accompanying Guidance Notes and Regulation Impact Statement are available at <http://www.dest.gov.au/research/publications/disability_standards/default.htm>
10 see <http://www.dest.gov.au/schools/teachingreview/>
11 Available on the MCEETYA web site at <http://www.mceetya.edu.au/public/public.htm>
12 see <http://www.dest.gov.au/schools/programmes/nef/default.htm>
13 Further information is available at <http://www.thelearningfederation.edu.au>
14 see <http://www.mceetya.edu.au/pdf/natsafeschools.pdf>
15 see <http://www.bullyingnoway.com.au>
16 see <http://www.dest.gov.au/schools/publications/2004/index.htm>
17 see <http://www.dest.gov.au/schools/publications/2003/index.htm>
18 see <http://www.dest.gov.au/schools/catspoems/files/cats_vol1.pdf>
19 see <http://www.dest.gov.au/schools/catspoems/files/poems_vol1.pdf>
20 Total parliamentary questions for the department. A breakdown by Outcome is not available.

For more information please email:

annualreport@dest.gov.au

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